Tag: Louisiana Department of Education

Program Launches for Teacher to Advocate for Education Initiative

The Louisiana Department of Education has developed a new program that would allow one teacher to take a year off to go around the State advocating for the education initiative of their choosing.  The teacher that will be chosen will come from nominees for Louisiana Teacher of the Year from the previous year. The fellowship was announced at the 12th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Awards Gala, and was awarded to 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year Kimberly Eckert, who will continue her efforts to recruit and train the next generation of Louisiana educators.

Eckert, who is an English teacher at Brusly High School in West Baton Rouge Parish, spent some of her time as 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year recruiting new educators and elevating the teaching profession. She will continue this work by focusing her fellowship on pioneering the national “Educators Rising” program in Louisiana. The program identifies young people, starting with high school students, interested in teaching and provides them with the information, skills and hands-on experience to become successful educators.

The fellowship is supported by a $50,000 stipend of state funding that is paid directly to the recipient’s school system. It allows the teacher to take a year-long sabbatical and may be used to help pay for their substitute, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred during the advocation period by the recipient.

“Louisiana has taken the Teacher of the Year award and turned it into a true leadership opportunity. Our winners and finalists are scholars, spokespeople, mentors,” said State Superintendent John White. “We need to be doing more to nourish and support them in realizing their leadership potential.”

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Louisiana Offers Free College Courses for Teachers

The Louisiana Department of Education has recently announced they will be offering free college courses to qualifying teachers in Louisiana. They have announced that  “an application for the BESE Tuition Program for Teachers, which will allow public school teachers to enroll in courses at any regionally accredited college or university, as well as some private universities, in Louisiana at the state’s expense.”

According to the article released on the Department of Education’s website, “The application prioritizes teachers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, and those accepted to participate in the program who will be taking STEM-focused coursework will join a newly created cadre of educators called STEM Fellows, who will work with the Department and the LaSTEM Council to further STEM initiatives across the state.”

For more information and how to apply, click here.

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Louisiana Teachers to Receive Classroom Instruction Training

As stated on the Louisiana Department of Education website on April 24th, 2018, “more than 700 teachers across the state have been selected to serve as Content Leaders and provide high-quality, content-rich and curriculum-specific professional development to new and current teachers in their school systems. The selected teachers will participate in special training during the 2018-2019 school year that prepares them for this responsibility and culminates in a professional distinction, as well as career advancement opportunities.”

The training will begin in summer 2018 and continue through the 2018-2019 school year. The training will include nine in-person sessions–half of which will occur during the summer months to reduce time spent outside the classroom–and will be held in various locations across Louisiana. Participants will receive:

A deeper knowledge of English Language Arts (ELA) or math content and how to teach it;

  • The knowledge and skills they need to effectively use and help others use the ELA Guidebooks 2.0, a nationally recognized curriculumcreated for Louisiana teachers by Louisiana teachers, or a top-tier mathematics curriculum;
  • The knowledge of adult learning theory, and the skills and resources to facilitate meaningful, productive learning experiences for fellow educators; and
  • Access to 36 additional hours of turnkey training sessions outside of the program.

For more information on the training the teachers will receive, click here.

Louisiana Department of Education Re-Vamped Report Card System

According to the Louisiana Department of Education, “On November 7, 2017, the Louisiana Department of Education released the Louisiana School Finder, an interactive online tool designed to help families more easily locate and evaluate schools and child care centers across the state.”

This unique system is truly one of a kind as no other state in the nation on performance spanning from birth to 12th grade in this type of easily accessible online format that is so well organized.

“In the first week alone, more than 25,000 unique visitors explored the Louisiana School Finder.” This included visitors from out of state as well.

For more information on this new system and to see some of the amazing feedback it has received, click here.